Seems like the more I listen, the more I hear people talking about the gear, the business of photography, the widgets. Let us not forget the simple love of photography.
I understand why there’s so much rhetoric in our industry about the business of photography and the gear and the gadgets. There is the common stereotype that most creative people aren’t good business people. There is fear. Gear is easier to talk about than vision. Exposures are exact, the camera dials have numbers. There is a ‘right’ answer to many of these questions.
But where is your love of pictures? Where are your actions that back this up?
Can you pick up a book of photographs and get lost in it?
Can you walk around with your iPhone or Android or your point and shoot or whatever and take 100 pictures knowing that they’ll never be for a client or a portfolio?
Do you love hunting for pictures?
Will you stay up late or get up early for pictures?
Do you sometimes ‘see’ life as a photograph?
It’s different for all of us, but when you can take a break from all the chatter, remind yourself–as often as you can–why you love photography.
Ok,I’m busted. I’m a photoholic and have been for thirty years, there I said it. I know I need help with my addiction, no not the gear I got off that stuff years ago. I mean with light, I have worked nights many years and see that morning light that many have never seen coming thru the windshield of a truck rolling down the interstate and still view it as a beautiful thing,sunsets are beautiful but there’s something about the mornings. I took photos in my head when I didn’t have a camera or film for my camera.
In answer to your questions
Yes, I re-read books that I have re-read, my wife says it’s scarry, I get into a “Trance of Concentration”
I don’t have and Ipod, I have a phone that doesn’t take pictures and cameras that don’t ring. I still have my FE2 does that count?
I’m going hunting right now and all day Saturday.
I gave up sleeping, 5 hours and a power nap does it for me.
The last one is a good one, years ago I was given my wifes grandmothers photo albums and her husbands WWII documents when they died because they knew of my love of photography. While I didn’t study the lighting or comment on how I could have done better, I looked and still look at them as a “Book Of Life” with all the writings and dates on the back I got to step inside a families life witnessed by few.
So yes I see my life as polarids in my head, some are just left in the developer a little longer than others.
Don’t stop doing what your doing.
PS, I’m still shooting with my D2X, so if anyone would like to help me experience the “gear addiction send me a D3S.
Well put Chase. Your photographs and your blog are really inspiring to me.
Chris Buck’s photos are pretty inspiring too, not too technical.. alot of natural lighting. but amazing, creative portraits…
I would also check out Bill Diodato’s blog as well: http://www.billdiodato.com/blog (he recently did a great fine art body of work which i went to the book release for)
You are right..of course. And I can say that both in my photography and music I have always been a non gear/business artist. Learn the basics, know your theory as much as you can, and let everyone else worry about the rest. That being said it is nice to have a gear junky around when you NEED to make a purchase.
I am happy to admit I do all those things. Except, I don’t have a phone in my camera. Yes, imagine that, a photographer(ok, I’m not a real photographer but a pretend one) that doesn’t own an iPhone.
Sadly, I ingest many more images than I produce. I do admit that I would love an F.1.2 lens implanted into my eye socket because I constantly walk around looking at angles, texture, compositions, ect. I don’t watch much TV. I spend my spare time on Flickr, reading photographer blogs, reading photography books, and photography magazines. All Tog All the Time! Except when I ride my motorbike 🙂